.png)
Battery storage and regulations
The transition to clean energy requires expanding our energy grid, which requires building large battery storage facilities. It is important that we build these facilities in appropriate locations with proper safety requirements.
Battery storage can be used on site for solar generating facilities or for at home use.NLarge battery storage systems ( BESS) are stand
alone facilities that collect and store electricity from power lines when energy is cheaper, and can be sold back to the grid when its more expensive. That backup supply could help the grid during times of high demand, such as during a heat wave, when air conditioning use is heavy. Or to make a profit. BESS stores whatever is being generated- including gas, oil, nuclear, wind or solar.
The cost of lithium batteries has dropped dramatically, boosting their popularity. For electric vehicle lithium batteries, as an example, prices fell by about 90% between 2008 to 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office.
Cheaper lithium has made utility-scale batteries more cost-competitive than some natural gas alternatives. Batteries can also be switched on and discharge power in a matter of seconds.
However, Battery storage facilities should not be built in or near forests. Many facilities are ill-equipped for thermal runaway (when the battery system overheats and catches fire) and its potential impacts
Milosh T. Puchovsky, Professor of Practice in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute said the following about the problem with many storage facilities:
"A fire or explosion may occur if concentrations of flammable gases—for example, hydrogen—are sufficient to create combustible or flammable mixtures in the presence of those overheated BESS components or other ignition sources. These hazards are not just theoretical. I am aware of a number of BESS installations that have experienced incidents involving fires and explosions."
Many facilities lack sufficient emergency response plans, and proper planning needed to be deemed safe.
In light of thermal runaway increases, there has been a recent movement to improve battery technology and installation methods.
Currently, many storage facilities use batteries made of nickel manganese cobalt. "The lithium-ion batteries made with nickel manganese cobalt have high energy density, which makes them attractive for use in storage facilities. But in light of thermal runaway incidents, there’s been a movement toward lithium iron phosphate batteries that operate at lower temperatures and are less prone to fires. Although changing or adjusting battery chemistry is important, there’s also a focus on making sure the battery arrays are properly wired and the fire prevention systems inside the storage containers don’t malfunction." -Rob Nikolewski, LA Times
Technology and safety measures will keep improving as our grid is expanded and relies more and more on storage facilities. While more facilities are built, it is vital that battery storage facilities do not risk the quality of the local environment or the safety of nearby homes.
Examples of Industrial Solar Fires:
Castleton, NY:
October, 2024. Just over the NY state border, there was a massive fire at a 40-acre Puresky solar power plant. All of the panels were on fire, and the fire spread into a nearby ravine. Because of the rural nature of the area, it was difficult to battle. Fifteen fire departments became involved to prevent the spread to nearby forestlands. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=528775059933435
https://wnyt.com/top-stories/crews-battle-large-fire-at-a-solar-farm-in-castleton/
Below is a picture of the solar plant in which all 17,000 panels burned.